Is it normal to leak fluid at 9 weeks?

Q: Today as I was standing at work, I felt a small gush of fluid between my legs, almost as if I had urinated. I went to the bathroom and urinated, and it went away. Is this normal? Should I be worried? I am nine weeks pregnant.

A:

There are many changes going on in the body of a pregnant woman, even at 9 weeks! Leaking fluid, although concerning for rupture of the amniotic sac (breaking your bag of water) is very unlikely at nine weeks and if it occurs, it is usually associated with vaginal bleeding. If bleeding is present, notify your practitioner. If bleeding is absent, the fluid is likely one if two things. Either it is vaginal discharge which increases exponentially in most women during pregnancy (requiring some women to wear a panty liner every day), or it is actually urine. It is very common, particularly as the pregnancy nears the end (but even at the beginning in some women, espcially those who have had a baby already), to accidentally leak urine. The good news: both will resolve after having the baby.

Answered by Dr. Michele Hakakha